Based on the famous novel by L. Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz places the player in the role of Dorothy Gale who is transported by a cyclone to the magical world of Oz. Accompanied by her dog Toto, a Scarecrow, a Tin Woodman and a Lion, she tries to find her way to the Emerald City, where she hopes the Wizard of Oz can help her find a way back home.

Gameplay-wise, The Wizard of Oz is a typical text adventure. The player can type in various commands to interact with the game world, manipulate objects, talk to NPCs or ask Dorothy's companions for help.

Telarium's 1985 release, Wizard of Oz, seems to be entirely inspired by the famous Judy Garland movie and, as far as I can tell, has very little to do with the L. Frank Baum books (which I've never read). At first, the game suffers severely by following much too closely to the movie (although it's interesting to try to click your heels as soon as you get the ruby slippers), but as it progresses and the plot diverges, it becomes more and more enjoyable. Before you know it, you find yourself in a rather cute adventure.

For the most part, in the Telarium tradition, the puzzles are quite easy but there are a couple head-scratchers. Always keep in mind what characters are with you as the game doesn't always remind you, and like in the Infocom text games, NAME, COMMAND is the proper way to talk to NPCs. Overall, I'd say this is a fun, easy game that will be especially enjoyable to young children and Wizard of Oz fans.